Archipelago Archives Exhibit #3: If I could set with the sun GUIDE BOOK | Page 22

3(b) Drawing on meditative
quality of Alus (Indonesia)
In Study #6: Tracing the Alus dance
in Central Java, Kiran seeks out
the efficacious movement quality.
In the palaces of Surakarta
and Jogyakarta, Javanese
court dances of both ritual and
theatrical bents alike, manifest
the unique quality of Alus.
In the vernacular, Alus is often
interpreted as a ‘soft male’
quality that even warriors are
imbued with.
A warrior prince can be a soft
male. He is then Alus.
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